Place Joachim-du-Bellay 1
History Exhibition
Place Joachim-du-Bellay 2
Place Joachim-du-Bellay 3
Place Joachim-du-Bellay 4
Place Joachim-du-Bellay 5

Place Joachim-du-Bellay

Les Halles, Paris

The Fontaine des Innocents dates to 1549
🔥Prostitutes once burned bones here for heat

This leafy square hides a macabre past: it was once Paris's largest cemetery, where bodies filled mass graves and prostitutes burned bones for warmth. Today, the Renaissance Fontaine des Innocents and a bustling market offer a far cheerier scene.

Historic Renaissance fountain
Former cemetery site
Pedestrian-only square
16th-century architecture